Mitzi dug around in her purse for her phone and called Jody, but it went right to voice mail. Then she called Paula.

“Hello.” Paula sounded as if she’d been crying.

“Are you okay? I’m worried about you and Jody,” Mitzi said.

“I’ve got a stomach bug. I’ve taken some medicine. I’ll be in by noon,” Paula told her.

“I’m sorry. Rest all you need to. Are you home?” Mitzi asked.

“I am now. I got up feelin’ bad and went to get something to make me better. We must’ve missed each other. See you later,” Paula said.

“Let me know if you need anything. I hear Jody coming in now. If you need to stay home all day, that’s okay. Just get some rest, and maybe you’ll feel better by Monday.” Mitzi sure hoped that whatever Paula had caught wasn’t contagious.

Jody arrived looking like she could chew up tenpenny nails and spit out thumbtacks. She stood a huge umbrella beside the door on the rug and stomped across the floor to pour a cup of coffee.

“What’s got you in a mood?” Mitzi pointed toward the plate of doughnuts.

“Lyle, and I don’t want to talk about it,” Jody answered as she picked up an apple and plopped down in a chair. “Y’all ever heard of Quincy Roberts?”

“Who hasn’t? He’s buying up land out there by y’all’s trailer, but rumor has it he won’t buy without the mineral rights. He’s this big oil tycoon,” Fanny Lou said.

“He wanted to buy our property, and I said no. Ever since, Lyle’s been actin’ weird,” Jody said. “If he sells without my okay, I may leave his sorry ass or poison him for real.”

“Can he do that? Sell without you signing?” Mitzi asked.

“Oh, yeah, he can. His aunt sold us the trailer and property. She’d only do it if we put it in his name only because she said someday he’d leave me. I didn’t care at the time because she was a mean old b—witch,” Jody said.

Fanny Lou shot a knowing look at Mitzi.

Mitzi didn’t want to admit it, but her grandmother might be right. “Maybe he’s going to surprise you with something and he’s afraid to say anything. Or maybe he wants to sell the trailer and land and use the money for a down payment on a house.”

“I don’t like surprises,” Jody said. “And I don’t want a house in town. I like where I live. Maybe I’ll get over this horrid mood if I start sewing. It’s past time to open up for business.” Jody took a sip of the coffee and set it back down.